Improvement in knitting-machines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. BRANSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,989. dated May 6,1879; application filed July 15, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. BRANSON, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Knitting-Machines; and Ido hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of thisspecification.

The nature of my invention relates to knitting-machines; and it consistsin a novel construction of the cams, and also in devices by which themechanism for raising and lowering the needle-cylinder, to lengthen thestitch or loop, is operated, as will be hereinafter more fully setforth.

In the annexed drawings, to which reference is made, and which fullyillustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a knittingmachineembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1 on linea; m. Fig. 3 is a plan view with cam-cylinder removed. Fig. 4 is abottom view of needle-cylinder. Fig. 5 is a vertical section ofcam-cylinder. Figs. 6 and 7 are detailed views.

A represents the bed-frame of the machine.

' B is the cam-cylinder, rotated by the usual gearing; and O is theneedle-cylinder.

The cams are specially designed for what is termed areciprocating-cylinder knitting-machine, and are so constructed thateach cam forms not only the stitch and lifting cam, but alsoautomatically closes the gap out of which the needles pass when thestitch is formed, and prevents the needles dropping under the cam whenthe movement of the machine is reversed. Heretofore this gap has beenclosed by tumblers or switchcams; but in my present invention the onecam performs all the different functions of stitch-cam, lifting-cam, andswitch-cam or tumbler.

-D D represent the stitch-cams, which are pivoted at their upper ends ata a, and vibrate at their lower ends, the movement being limited by aslot, 11, in each cam, in which projects a pin, d, firmly attached tothe cam-cylinder. This pin determines the upward movement of the cam,being far enough to form the proper angle for the needles to pass downthe cams in forming the loops, and to open a sufficient space for thepassage of the needles out between the stitch-cam and the lower cam, E,that forces them upward. As soon'as all the needles have passed out fromunder the stitchcam, it drops down of its own gravity, and closes thegap out of which the needles have passed and bridges the opening, sothat the needles cannot possibly pass down under the cam again, but mustpass up over it and free the latches of the needles preparatory toforming new loops in passing down under the stitch-cam on the oppositeside, which performs the same functions in its turn.

The upper cam, F, projects downward between the two operating-cams D D(just described) far enough to bring the needles below thepivoting-points a a, so as to force them back against the pins againstwhich they vibrate. My pivoted or swinging cams D D perform thethreefold function of switch-cams or tumblers, elevating-cams, anddepressing or loop cams.

For lengthening or shortening the stitch, I use a ring or annulus, G,resting upon lugs e on the bed-plate, and provided with inclines f.These inclines correspond with inclines h in the lower end of theneedle-cylinder, and the cylinder rests on said ring. By turning thering the cylinder is raised or lowered perpendicularly, the cylinderbeing prevented from turning by a stud, i, on one of the lugs 6,projecting into a slot, :0, in the cylinder; but to these devices I layno claim herein.

A lever or arm, H, is attached to the ring G on one side, and extendsoutward past the outer edge of the bed-plate through a slotted piece, I,attached to the bed-plate. This arm H is formed of two pieces, one ofwhich rests on the lower edge of the slotted piece I. The other, havinga projection, m, springs up against the upper edge of the slot, theprojection engaging notches a, and thereby holding the arm firmly, andthus preventing the ring G from moving and changing the length of thestitch during the operation of the machine. This ring also serves in thesame capacity as the ring shown in the Letters Patent granted me May 22,1877.

The needle-cylinder resting upon the upper edge of the ring, and theinclines extending outward to the inner edge of the bed-plate, it isobvious that nernlle-cylinders of different diameters can be usedresting upon the same ring and be actuated by it perpendicularly, asdescribed.

In the operation of the machine, after the first round of loops are caston in the ordinary way, a continuous tubular web can be made byrevolving the camcylinder by means of the crank and gearwvhcel in eitherdirection.

In knitting the heel or too of socks or other hosiery, the needles inthe back half of the needleeylinder are raised up until their heels arebrought against the coil-spring band 1) in the cylinder, which is as faras they will rise. They are then entirely above the cam-cylinder andclear of the cams which operate them, and they remain motionless whilethe cam-cylinder is being revolved. The cam-cylinder is now revolveduntil all the needles down and in operation have formed their loops andhave passed out from under the stitch-cam and are at rest on the ledge sof the cam-cylinder. The operator then ceases to revolve the cylinder inthat direction; lifts up the needles down and in operation next thefirst ot' the lifted-up needles in the back half of the needle-cylinder,and then revolves the cylinder in the opposite direction in the samemanner and with the same result; continues to revolve the cylinder backand forth, each time lifting up a needle on the side where the laststitches were formed, and next those already lifted up and out ofoperation, until only ten are left down and in operation. Then theoperator pushes down one needle into operation of those lifted up on theopposite side from those last forming stitches, at each backward andforward motion of the cam-cylinder, until all are pushed down to theback half first lifted up. Then all remaining needles are pushed downtogether, and the cylinder is revolved round and round, as at first inknitting tubular web.

In knitting all manner of flat web, or the heel and toe of hose, thetake-up spring L, attached to the yarn-guide M, is used to draw up theyarn drawn through the cam-cylinder far enough to cause the needles topass out on the opposite side.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the swinging cams I) I), pivoted at their upperends and provided with slots 11, through which the pins at project, andthe stationary cams or guides E F, all constructed and arranged asdescribed, whereby the swinging cams are caused to act separately asstitch-cam, lifting-cam, and switchcam or tumbler, substantially asherein set forth.

2. The combination of the ring G, having inclines f, the split or doublehandle or lever H, with projection m, and the slotted plate I, withnotches n, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES L. BRANSON.

\Vitnesses R. C. CHEESMAN, l. W. GEPHART.

